Who starts at shortstop? Julio Lugo

Credit: Matthew West

GOOD SHOW: The Sox say Jed Lowrie, right, is competing for the starting shortstop job with Julio Lugo (left) this spring, but in reality, Lugo has the job locked up.

FORT MYERS - On the face of it, the Red Sox are holding an open competition for their starting shortstop job. It’s Julio Lugo vs. Jed Lowrie, and may the best man win.

Unless that man happens to be Lowrie. Then, all bets are off.

Because this isn’t really a competition. There’s no drama here. Unless Lugo gets hurt again or has the most horrific spring of the 60 or so players in camp, he - and not Lowrie - will be the team’s starting shortstop when the season opens April 6.

Manager Terry Francona and general manager Theo Epstein spoke to every position player yesterday, including the shortstop candidates.

“We’ll make decisions on what’s best for the team,” Francona said. “It will sort itself out.”

So, sure, there’s the appearance of competition, with both players getting playing time at the position when the exhibition schedule begins. But before the end of next month, Lugo will be “announced” as the winner and Lowrie will be designated as the team’s utility infielder.

The steadier player may be Lowrie - he didn’t make a single error in 49 regular-season games played at the position last year while Lugo recovered from a quadriceps injury - but he’s probably more valuable to the team as a role player. Lowrie can play short, third, second and, if he had to, first base.

Lugo has played 84 games in the big leagues at second base, 16 at third and 17 games in the outfield, but is only really comfortable at short. When the Dodgers had him move around the infield and outfield in 2006, Lugo balked. The last thing the Sox need is a player unhappy in his role.

Perhaps his injury and Lowrie’s emergence last season has lit a fire under Lugo. He may not be an All-Star-caliber player and he certainly isn’t worth his contract, but there is reason to believe he’s better than he’s shown while with the Red Sox.

Another issue is strictly economic. Lugo has $18 million remaining over the final two years of his contract. That seemed like a highly inflated figure a year ago; now, it seems positively outlandish. Think of it this way: In baseball’s new world order, Lugo will make $1 million less this season than Adam Dunn, who has hit 206 homers in the last five seasons.

Whatever scant hope the Sox held of finding a taker for Lugo disappeared when the salaries dropped through the floor this winter. Conversely, the only way they can get Lugo to begin building back his value is to have him play every day.

There’s a reality-show element, right down to the fact that some of it has been prescripted.

Yesterday, for example, Francona revealed that Lowrie would be getting some time at third base when Grapefruit League play begins, the better to prepare him to play there if Mike Lowell, returning from major hip surgery, isn’t able to play full time in April. Sounds logical enough.

But when asked if Lugo, too, would get an opportunity to move around the infield some, in preparation for a possible utility role, Francona said no.

“I just think that’s going about it wrong,” Francona said. “In fairness to him and to Jed, we don’t need to start moving guys around. This is a big spring for Julio. He feels like he has a lot to prove and he missed some time. I think the best way to go about it is to let him be a shortstop.”